How to Make a SharePoint Site Look Like a Website

Looking for the best way to revamp your intranet's design?  You've come to the right place! Step-by-step, we will help you transform your basic SharePoint page design into a stunning and engaging page.

But first...let's answer one of the most pressing questions you may have.

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April 2022

Why Do You Need Beautiful Intranet Branding for SharePoint?

"My SharePoint works perfectly well! Why do I need to make it look good?" — You've probably asked this question a couple of times as you make your intranet.  And you're right, function does go a long way. But, think about your own experience as a user. How many times have you clicked out of a website with too much clutter, low-quality images, or bland colors?  Probably, quite a few.

Why do you think that is? Because good design keeps you engaged. An intranet that does not incorporate both function and good design runs the risk of alienating its users. If you’re not yet convinced, here are a few more reasons why you should place a strong emphasis on design both when you're building and revamping your intranet:

Engage Users:

An intranet with a good design encourages engagement. Employees are more likely to use an intranet with a beautiful and functional design than an intranet that looks old and cluttered. An appealing SharePoint site will inspire your users to share more information, collaborate with their co-workers, and participate more in company activities.

Improve User Experience:

A well-designed intranet is easier to navigate. Your employees will be able to easily find the information they need, which can lead to better performance and increased productivity.

Reinforce Brand Identity:

Your intranet is a direct reflection of your company. A SharePoint site with an attractive design can positively reinforce the image and branding of your company.

How to Make a SharePoint Site Look Like a Website

Building a SharePoint Communications Site

Now that you know the advantages of a visually appealing intranet, let us show you how to make a SharePoint site look like a website using ShortPoint’s out-of-the-box capabilities. Let us transform this basic SharePoint design into an engaging site that your users will surely love:

Default SharePoint Site
Transform the Navigation Menu

A complete SharePoint intranet has a design that identifies with the company's branding at one glance.

It also contains components that are important to all employees. This may include a section for easy access to tools, documents, sites that help in their day-to-day work, and more.

It will also has sections that highlight crucial information for the awareness of all such as news, recognition, and events.

navigation menu
Transform the Navigation Menu

The first thing you’ll notice when you look at a SharePoint site is its navigation menu. While it is useful for linking other pages on your Site Collection, it can take away the website feel of your page. After all, most modern websites do not have a clunky menu.

This is where ShortPoint's Theme Builder comes in handy! Theme Builder is an amazing feature that allows you to customize the look and feel of your SharePoint site. Here, you can customize the navigation menu’s color and even modify the font.

You can also hide the menu altogether, paving the way for a much cleaner-looking SharePoint site. The Theme Builder gives you the flexibility to incorporate your organization’s branding into your intranet branding.

Building a SharePoint Communication Site for headers
Build a Unique Header

Now, let’s move on to the header. SharePoint’s OOTB header capabilities can be limiting, especially design-wise. While this header works, it does not incorporate your organization’s identity. You need your header to immediately capture your users' attention and invite them to use your page.

To help you create a header that will catch your viewers attention, ShortPoint has what we call the “ShortPoint Page Builder.” Page Builder has an intuitive editing interface that allows users to see the customizations they make in real-time.

With ShortPoint Page Builder, users can showcase brand identity by adding their organization’s logo, add call-to-action buttons, and even add news and announcements to make your header more interactive:

Beautiful SharePoint Sites with visual separation
Create Visual Separation

Busy and cluttered sites overwhelm users. To make your Intranet look as good as a well-designed websites,  your users must be able to visually identify one section from another. While SharePoint does have a divider that allows you to separate rows, it does not have the same option for columns. As a result, when you have several web parts in a row, it looks like one big chunk of information.

To help you create visual separation between different sections on your page, ShortPoint has the Panel Design Element. The panels do not only serve as containers, but they also serve as visual identifiers for each section on your page. By having this clear separation among sections, your users will be able to navigate the page easily and find what they need.

HR Site Template with beautiful web parts
Customize the Look and Feel of your Web Parts

SharePoint has a selection of web parts that can quickly allow you to incorporate the information you need into your intranet. However, SharePoint has significantly limited design customizations. For example, the News web part only allows you to modify the layout and hide some elements of the news. This can be limiting, especially if you want your page to stand out. Don't worry, we have great news!

To make your page truly your own, ShortPoint has over 60 Design Elements that offer one-of-a-kind customization options. You can modify each Design Element to your liking and present the information you need in unique ways. The best part is you can connect these Design Elements to SharePoint Lists, Libraries, and other external sources through ShortPoint Connect. ShortPoint Connect allows you to securely integrate data from any source directly to your page, so you can create dynamic content.

Modern SharePoint Design for footers
Make your Footer Stand Out

When creating a page, the footer may be the last thing on your mind. But just like any element on your page, you must also pay attention to the design and functionality of your footer. SharePoint allows you to add a basic footer to your page. While it already has the basic functions, it does not have many stylistic options.

With ShortPoint, you have access to our Demos Library, which has hundreds of design templates (including footer design templates) that you can easily copy and paste into your page. Additionally, users can customize the footer they copy from our Demos Library using ShortPoint Generator. ShortPoint Generator allows you to create custom elements and footers that you can easily integrate to your SharePoint page.

Start Making Modern SharePoint Designs Using ShortPoint

Building a SharePoint communication site and an HR Site template that looks like a website is easier with ShortPoint!  Get Started with ShortPoint today with a Free 15-Day Trial and experience the groundbreaking innovations in intranet site design.

ShortPoint provides you with:

  • a powerful add-on that covers everything and anything you need for intranet site design;
  • a wide selection of the best SharePoint Designs you can modify and make your own;
  • over 60 customizable Design Elements to suit any type of content;
  • easy SharePoint site branding capabilities, and so much more.

Try out ShortPoint by starting a free trial or connect with our sales team to learn more. Build your intranets fast with ShortPoint.

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